Baseball game



C. JONES Oct. 9, 1928.

BASEBALL GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed lay 11, 1927 Oct. 9, 1928.

C. JONES BASEBALL GAME Filed May 11,-1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cnnnnns JONES, or nonernncn, CALIFORNIA.

BA SEBALL; GAME.

Application filed May 11,

My invention is a baseball game inwhich a mechanical batter is used and the field is laid out in miniature with miniature players represented. i

5*: An objectof my invention is-a'game simulating baseball'in which a mechanically actua miniature permanentlyfixedfigure, is lo-- cated behind theplatewith his gloves directly behindithe swinging bat ofthe batter. Thebatter swings the bat periodically and a an object of' the person throwing the ball is to not only throw the ball'correctly over the plate but at the proper time to be struck by the bat; Another object of my invention is the construction of an alley. or "the like, suitable for amusement parks, inv which the walls-may be painted to represent-part oft'he grandstand and bleachers of a baseball field5 the back wall also representingpartof the grandstand: A baseball diamond. and field is "laid out on an inclined surface sloping towards the persons playing the" game. The" mechanical batter is preferably actuatedbyanelectric motor to swing the upper part of his body with the bat held' in his hands and,

after a person throwsthe ball so thatthe batter strikes-it, theball: may roll' down the slope and possibly enter someof' the pockets, this being represented by the .ballbeing caught bythe miniature player figures.

'M-yinvention will be more readily under-- stood from the following description and drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a perspectivev view'of an alley having mygame therein. I I

Figure Q'is a longitudinal section. Figure 3 is'a perspective view of themechanical'batter.

Figure 3' is another view of the batter,-

partly broken away, showing the internalmanipulating mechanism;

- Figure is atransverse section onthe line 5''5 of Fig. 4 inthe directionof the-arrows. Figure 6 is a horizontal view on the-line t't fi -31? I 4 are the direction n? the arrows 1927. Serial No. 190,496.

The layout for the gameis illustrated in Figs. 1- and 2 in which the whole structure may be considered as an alley'll, having opposite side Walls 12, a, rea'r-wall'13, an inclined surface 14, a flat part l5gat the front, astand 16, and'a' platform li for the players. The

rear wall'13-has a painting or the like 18v representing a baseball grandstand and. on

the sidewalls thereare other paintings representing partof the grandstand and the bleachers, indioated by 19. The dugouts 20 for the players arealso indicated in painting. A diamond 21 is laid out on the inclined surface 14: which forms the baseball field; Thefirst, second and third bases are markedby openings 22'and adjacent each of;

the out-fielders, represented by miniature figures 23,, there are other openings 24.

There is also an opening 25 adjacent the figure 26 representing the short stop and another opening 27 adjacent the figure 28 representing the pitcher. The batter 29 is a mechanicall'y actuated figure 'whichswings' the bat.

periodically, and directly behind the batter is a miniature figure; 3O representing the catcher. The catchers gloves 31 are direct'ly behind the home plate 32' and are positioned. at the same elevation above the'horizontal as the path'taken by the batters bat in moving across the plate.

The game is'played substantially as follows: a. j

The mechanical batter preferably has, an electrical mechanism built inhisbody structureso-that the upper part offhisbody and arms oscillate periodically whereby the bat held in his hands swings across the home.

plate from the back towards thefront. This mechanical figureis started and stopped in operation by an attend'antwho may stand on the'horizontal surface 15' of the alley.

The attendant usually charges the participants inthe game a certain amount otmoneyv for the privilege of throwing a certain number' of balls and would give them prizesor the equivalent ifthe balls when struck roll. into any of the pockets in the baseball field above enumerated. The participants stand. on the platform 17 f and endeavor to strike the bat as the mechanical batter swings thisacross the'home plate. The construction of the-mechanical batter designatedgenerallyas above by the numera' 29, is substantiallyas follows:

This batter has a rigid lewsr Body straw ture 33 with legs 34, the legs being secured rigidly to the floor forming the baseball field and to effect this may have bolts 35 extending upwardly into each leg and bolted through the floor. The lower body structure has a deep recess 36 with cylindrical walls 37. In this recess there substantial frame work 38 on which is supported a vertical journal 1 I .4

cox 39 with a ver tical shalt 40 eatendmg up- We 'dly therefrom. A gear ll is connected to this shaft and is driven by a pinion 42, actuated ly a pinion shaft 413. This latter, by

means of bevel gears i l, is driven by the,

Thls

motor shaft 1-5 of the electric mo tor 46. motor. as above menti ned, is preferably controlled by a switch which may be located adjacent the stand to be within easy reach of the attendant of the alley.

The upper body structure of the batter has a hollow space LS'With cylindrical walls t5 there being an antifriction bearing 50 at the meeting edges of the cylindrical walls 37 of the lower body structure and 49 of the upper bodystructure, with a flange 51 on the outside rigidly secured to the lower body structure. A coiled spring 52has one end 53 connected to the shaft 40 and the other end 54 connected to the wall of the upper body body structure 49 and a cooperating stop lug 62 extends upwardly from the wall 37 of the lower body structure. A positive stop 63 is connected to the lower body structure and extends upwardly in a position to engage the bracket 58 of the trigger mechanism.

The batter supports a bath; in his hands, the bat preferably being somewhat flexible. and the arms 65 are rigidly connected to the upper body structure. The batter wears a loose shirt 66 which conforms to hisshoulzders, arms and upper body, and 18 connected to the breeches 67 WlllCll are on the lower bod structure and. le s. The arments aresufliciently'loose so that as the batters body oscillates in the manner hereunder set forth, the garments twist in accordance with such batter is substantially as follows:

. The gear 40 is rotated so that this operates in a clockwise direction, as indicated bythe arrow 68, and in such action the pin 56 engages the trigger 57 and, as the spring 60' is quite stiff, the upper part of the body is carried in a clockwise rotation, this swinging the batter and the batters arms to the rear havrelation to the diamond and the partiei pants. When the stops 6], and 62 on the upper and low-r body parts respectively contact, thedi'sc 55 continually rotating'causes the compression of the spring 60 and releases the pin 56 from the trigger 57. The action of turning the upper part of the batters body increases the tension on the spring-'52 which is already wound up to a certain extent and on the release of the trigger this spring 52 swings the upper part of the batters body in anti-clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 69. This action in swinging the bat forward is much more rapid than the slow i motion. developed by the electric motor in. moving the bat to the rear so that, should a participant in the game throw a ball in the correct position to strike the bat and at the proper time, the ball will be given a fair bit.

The forward swinging motion of the upper part of the body is stopped by the stop 63011 the lower body part'coming in'contact with 56 again contacts with the trigger 57 whence.

the operation of oscillating the bat towards the rear is again performed. g Fromthe above description, together with the drawings, it willbe seen that I have developed a game which closely simulates a' baseball game and that each of the'partictv pants in the game may. play as thepitcher, throwing the ball for the batter to strike. If desired. the stand 16 may be sufficiently close to the better so that if the ball strikesthe bat properly flies may be struck so that participants in the game may endeavor to catch same and if the person pitching catches-the fly he may be given an extra present or award by the attendant or manager of the game;

Various changes may be made in the principles of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, as set forth in the description, drawings and claims. J I claim: V e 1. In a baseball game a figure representing abatter, having a fixed lower body part and a rotatable upper body part'mounted thereon, the upper part holding a bat,-an electric motor mounted in the lower part, a gear driven by said motor, a' trigger means interconnecting the gear and theupper part to rotate said upper part in one direction, means. to release the trigger after apredetermined movement, and a spring means to return" the upper body part to its initial position. 7

2. In a baseball game a figure representing a batter, having a lower body part with a recess therein and having a vertical cylindrical wall, an upper body part holding a bat and having a cylindricabwall, with antifriction bearings between said walls, an electric motor mounted in the lower part, a shaft rotatably mounted in the lower part, a gear connected to said shaft, means to rotate said gear from themotor, a trigger on the upper body part, means interconnecting the trigger and the gear, a spring on the shaft interconnecting the shaftand the upper body part, means to release the trigger after a predetermined rotatlon in one d rectlon, and a sprlng returning the upper body part to its initial position.

3.' In a baseball game a figure representing a batter having a fixed lower body part, an upper rotatable body part mounted thereon holding a bat, a vertical shaft journaled in the lower part, a gear on said shaft, an electric motor to operate said gear, a pin connected to the gear, a trigger on the upper part to engage said pin, interengaging stops on the upper and lower parts to limit the rotation of the upper part relative to the lower part, a spring operating on the trigger, said spring being actuated to release the trigger from the pin, and a second spring actuating the upper part of the body structure to rotate same in a reverse direction.

L. In a baseball game a figure representing a batter, having a fixed lower body part with a recess therein and cylindrical walls, an upper body part holding a bat and having a recess with a downwardly extending cylindrical wall, the said walls engaging with an antifriction bearing, a frame inthe lower body part having a shaft journaled therein, an electric motor to rotate said shaft, a pin, means connecting said'pin to the shaft, a trigger mounted on the upper part to engage the pin, interengaging stops on the upper and lower parts, the said trigger having a spring to release the trigger from the pin on engagement of said stops, a spring interconnecting the shaft and the upper body part to swing said part in an opposite direction on release of the trigger, and a stop in the lower body part to limit the reverse swingingmovement of theupper part.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES JONES. 

